Richmond RCMP is warning residents of scam calls appearing to be from the police detachment, but are actually fraudsters spoofing the phone number.
A victim reported to the Richmond RCMP that they received a call with the caller ID displayed as the Richmond detachment non-emergency phone number.
The fraudster on the line told the victim they were being investigated and told them to deposit $4,000 in Bitcoin.
In this incident, the Richmond RCMP detachment's phone number was being "spoofed" by scammers, which involves the phone's caller ID being altered to disguise the caller's actual phone number or identity.
Police say scammers often use this method to make it seem like a call is coming from a legitimate company or government agency such as the RCMP.
"Police will never demand payment over the phone, and will never ask you for Bitcoin,” said Cpl. Denise Kam with the Richmond RCMP Economic Crime Unit.
“If you receive a suspicious call that appears to be from police, you can request the police file number and hang up. Verify the official phone number from a trusted directory or official website and call back directly.”
Cpl. Melissa Lui, Richmond RCMP media relations officer, added that anyone who believes they are a victim of fraud needs to report the incident to their local police.
“By informing the public, we hope to prevent more people from falling victim to this scam,” said Lui.
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